


A Night With the Prince

by klaineanummel



Series: A Night With the King [4]
Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dubious Consent, Infidelity, M/M, Power Imbalance, explicit discussion of dubious consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-26 13:14:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7575319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klaineanummel/pseuds/klaineanummel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt is the only thing that makes sense in his life anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this is a little later than expected! I'm actually on vacation right now, and the wifi is VERY limited, so I won't be able to post this on tumblr until I get home. Thankfully I have enough juice to get this bad boy out for you ;) Because of not being able to use tumblr, I am not yet able to update the extended warnings masterpost, so, **WARNINGS** : strong themes of dubious consent, discussions of non-consensual sexual acts and how easily dub-con can become non-con, explicit sexual content, infidelity, class difference, power imbalance, Blaine have a relationship with both Burt and Kurt. I think that's all for this one. Please, proceed with caution. This chapter contains several discussions on the subject of consent, so tread carefully if this might upset you. 
> 
> There are only two chapters for this part, and I will be posting chapter two on Friday of this upcoming week :) See you all then, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Also, I want to make it VERY clear that the dub-con warning is for Blaine/Burt, not Blaine/Kurt. I feel that's very important to mention)

The kiss ends mere moments after it begins.

Blaine’s eyes remain closed even after Kurt’s lips are gone. He can still feel their phantom touch against his own, so soft compared to the rocks they were hurling at each other only moments before.

His eyes open slowly and he sees Kurt standing with one hand over his mouth, the other clutching his opposite elbow.

They stand in silence. Blaine's heart is pounding wildly in his chest, and he wonders if Kurt’s is as well. If Kurt has been waiting for that kiss as long as Blaine has.

“I shouldn't -” Kurt presses his lips together. He glances around, and it is only then that Blaine realizes they are entirely exposed. Anybody could have heard them. Anybody could have _seen_ them.

This sitting area may be off the main path, but it is by no means secluded.

“We should go for a ride,” Blaine says, words blurring together with how quickly he says it.

Kurt frowns, his hand dropping from his lips. “A ride?”

Blaine nods. “So we can… talk.”

Kurt stares at him for several minutes, frown still in place, but finally nods.

“Yes. We should… talk.”

“Okay,” Blaine says. They continue staring at each other for several moments. Part of Blaine wants nothing more than to close the distance between them and kiss Kurt again. The other part is furious that Kurt would kiss him _now_ , of all times.

Finally Kurt turns on his heel and starts down the path. Blaine hurries to follow him, walking silently next to him. Every now and then it looks like Kurt may try to say something, but each time he presses his lips together and shakes his head.

Blaine would give anything to be in his head.

They are still silent when they reach the stables, and as they prepare their horses to ride. Kurt is still far faster than Blaine, and while usually he would wait for Blaine to finish himself, this time he hip checks Blaine out of the way and finishes saddling the horse himself.

“Thanks,” Blaine whispers. Kurt nods, then goes to Daisy and mounts her. Blaine does the same with Pepper.

Kurt leads the way, going in the opposite direction of the little field he usually trains in. Blaine follows wordlessly, trusting Kurt to know where to go.

It is only when they are far from the stables, surrounded by thick trees and cool shade, that Kurt says, “I shouldn't have kissed you.”

Blaine looks up sharply, eyes wide. “What?”

Kurt shakes his head, slowing Daisy to a gentle trot. “I shouldn't have kissed you. Not like that. Not… not when we were just talking about…”

“Kurt-”

“No, I shouldn't have just… kissed you. I didn't ask, and we were _fighting_ , and… I just shouldn't have kissed you.”

Blaine looks ahead at the forest path, seemingly endless. “We should talk about this when we reach our destination.”

Kurt nods and silence falls over them once again.

They continue riding, further into the trees. After what feels like hours of silence, Kurt guides Daisy off the main path and onto a small, side path. Blaine follows, lips pressed together, ducking every now and then when a tree branch comes too close for comfort.

Finally the trees become more scarce, and Blaine is surprised to see a body of water beyond a small sandbank. He can hear water gurgling as they get closer, the trees parting further, and eventually making way for the small clearing.

“I did not know a river came this close to the castle,” Blaine says as Kurt dismounts Daisy. There is still grass where Kurt begins to tie up the horse, but it becomes sparse the closer one gets to the water.

“It is the river that runs through the capital,” Kurt says softly, finishing off the knot that ties Daisy to a nearby tree. “This is the only place on our grounds where it is not surrounded by tree roots and stones. I used to come here all the time with Brittany when we were children.”

Blaine dismounts his own horse, still nowhere near as graceful as Kurt. He walks her to where Daisy is tied and ties Pepper to the neighboring tree.

“I did not realize you knew Brittany when you were children.”

He glances over to Kurt, who has moved closer to the water and is removing his jacket. “Are you trying to distract me from the conversation we are actually supposed to be having?” Kurt asks, raising an eyebrow.

Blaine shrugs. “Maybe?”

Kurt chuckles, then spreads his jacket out on the sand. He lowers himself onto it completely indelicately, flopping more than anything, and Blaine has to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning. He loves moments like this, when Kurt is not Crown Prince Kurt of Lima, but just Kurt, a twenty-two year old spending time with a friend.

“I’ve known Brittany since we were ten,” Kurt says, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on them. “It was two months after my mother passed and my father took me to the capital, to the market, in an attempt to cheer me up.” He glances over his shoulder at Blaine and nods his head, encouraging Blaine to join him on the sand. Blaine goes, though unlike Kurt he does not remove his jacket, instead sitting directly on the sand. It’s quite cool outside, and he does not understand how Kurt is not freezing.

“She was a street urchin,” Kurt continues, smiling softly, the memory clearly a fond one. “I begged my father for coins to give her, and she proceeded to follow me around for the rest of my visit. A guard tried to make her leave, but I didn’t want him to. I thought she was sweet.” He sighs, resting his cheek in the crook of his elbow. “When it was time to return home I begged my father to take her with us. He didn’t want to, and he kept saying that Brittany’s parents would miss her, but Brittany told him that she didn’t have parents anymore. Oh, how I begged to bring her to the palace.”

Kurt chuckles and shakes his head at the actions of his ten year old self. Blaine shuffles slightly closer to him.

“Eventually my father agreed. She was to be a playmate for me, officially a servant. She was not given a wage, but she had a place to sleep and all the food and clothes she would need. I was ecstatic. I already thought of her as my best friend at that point,” Kurt’s smile is smaller now, but his eyes shine. “I still do.”

“How did she become your concubine?” Blaine can’t help but ask.

Kurt raises his eyebrow yet again. “You’re still trying to distract me, Blaine.”

Blaine can’t help but smile. “It’s working, is it not?”

“I suppose,” Kurt says, looking back to the river. “It really is not as exciting a story. When I was thirteen I told my father I wanted to marry her. He told me that if that was the case I should take her as my first concubine, as they are often expected to become a spouse. I asked Brittany and she agreed. Simple as that.”

“Huh,” Blaine says, tracing small patterns in the sand.

“I told you it wasn’t exciting.”

“You did,” Blaine says, glancing at Kurt briefly, a small smile on his face.

“Well, now you know all about my history with Brittany. Would you like to hear about Elliott as well, or can we talk about what we came here to talk about?”

Blaine bites his lip. “Actually –”

Kurt reaches a hand out and puts it on his arm. “Blaine,” he says, voice quiet. Blaine looks up and sees Kurt looking at him intently, blue eyes piercing directly to his soul.

He sighs but nods, sitting up. They fall into silence, Blaine biting his lip and Kurt continuing to stare at him, as though expecting him to speak first. It’s a valid assumption, as it was Blaine’s idea to go for a ride, but it feels unfair. Blaine does not even know where to begin.

Finally, Kurt says, “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Blaine looks up into his eyes, and sees the deep regret embedded in them. “Kurt…”

“No,” Kurt shakes his head. “No, you said we would talk about this when we reached our destination, and we’re here, and we’re talking about it. I should not have kissed you.”

Blaine swallows thickly, heart speeding up in his chest. “Why not?” he asks, voice softer than he planned for it to be.

“You’re my father’s concubine, for starters,” Kurt says, and Blaine instantly looks down at the sand, shame filling him. “We were fighting, as well, and what we were fighting about…”

Blaine hooks his arms around his knees and rests his chin atop them. He still says nothing.

“I should have asked. Or… or just not kissed you. I shouldn’t have even given you that book,” Kurt sighs. “I’ve made a mess of things, haven’t I?”

“I wasn’t exactly an unwitting passerby,” Blaine whispers. “I provoked you. I yelled at you. I practically demanded that –”

“Don’t try and excuse it,” Kurt says. “I should have asked, especially when we were talking about… about consent.”

The last word comes out in a whisper, and a shiver runs down Blaine’s spine.

Consent. Oh, that is not something he thinks about often, if ever. It is not something he wishes to think about, really. Then again, he does not wish to think of Kurt as anything other than a friend, yet here they are.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned Sebastian, either,” Kurt continues, unaware of Blaine’s internal thoughts. “It is not something I should have known, and it was unfair of me to be angry about it.”

“On that we agree,” Blaine says, the words slipping out before he can stop them. He glances at Kurt and sees him looking at Blaine, surprise written all over his face. Blaine raises an eyebrow. “What? Did you expect me to disagree? You compared yourself sleeping with your future husband to me fulfilling my duties to the King. The situations are in no way the same, and it was incredibly unfair of you to presume they were.”

Kurt bites his bottom lip, surprise turning to worry. “Because you did not want to sleep with my father and Sebastian?”

“No, Kurt,” Blaine says, frustrated at how shallow Kurt is being. “Because not wanting to sleep with Sebastian and the King is not an option for me.”

Kurt frowns instantly. “I do not understand.”

“Okay,” Blaine turns so that he is facing Kurt, legs crossed over each other. “You told me that consenting and not saying no are not the same thing, right?” Kurt nods. “Well, saying no is not an option for me.”

“What? Of course it’s –”

“No, Kurt, it isn’t. Being with the King is my _job_. It’s my duty, as concubine, as it is Sebastian’s. If a gardener is told by his superior to trim a bush, he does not have the option to say no. He simply does it.”

“Sleeping with somebody and trimming the bush are two entirely different situations, Blaine.”

“Not for me,” Blaine says. “What happens to a gardener here in the castle if Mercedes asks him to trim a bush and he does not do so?”

Kurt shrugs. “He receives a warning?”

“Let’s say so. And if, after receiving his warning, he still refuses to trim the bush?”

“I suppose… we would let him go,” the end of the sentence is quiet, contemplative. Blaine nods.

“I am the gardener, Kurt, and your father is the bush. Having sex with him is my _duty_. And not some made up duty, like you claim sleeping with Adam was, but my actual, literal, duty. It is my job, Kurt.”

“But it’s… it’s not the _same_ ,” Kurt says. “Your job is different from all other jobs. Consent is necessary for your job, whereas it isn’t for a gardener. If you do not want to sleep with my father and you do anyway, that’s…”

Blaine doesn’t want to think of the word.

“Concubines have been killed for denying their noble,” Blaine says quietly. “Others have been forced, regardless of their wishes. Others exiled, either sent back to their homes with nothing but their shame and the clothes on their back, or to an entirely new village where they will forever be known as the concubine who denied their master.”

“My father would never do that,” Kurt says, shaking his head vehemently. “He would never kill you or exile you, and he most certainly would not continue sleeping with you even if you said no.”

Blaine wants to think that way. He truly does. He remembers that first night, how the King told him that he was free to say no at any time and he would stop. That whatever happened was Blaine’s choice.

But he also remembers the fear in Emma’s eyes at the thought that she might be called upon.

“I’m not so sure if that’s true,” Blaine says, voice barely a whisper.

“So… so what, you just _can’t_ say no? It doesn’t matter if you really don’t want to or if you do, saying no just isn’t an option?”

Blaine nods.

“Elliott and Brittany say no to me all the time,” Kurt says. “There have been many times that I have called on them and they have admitted that they do not wish to be intimate, so we spend the night talking instead.”

“I believe you,” Blaine says. “I… I remember when I first arrived at the castle. You asked Brittany to speak with her and she refused. I was surprised that you let her. The next time I saw her I expected to see her beaten for her insubordination.”

“What?!” Kurt shouts, eyes widening almost comically. “ _Beaten_?!”

Blaine shrugs. “It’s more common than you would think.”

“But – Who would –”

Blaine purses his lips together and looks away from him. “You don’t read the papers often, do you?”

“I don’t understand,” Kurt says. “So… so if you don’t want to sleep with my father and he calls on you…?”

“I try and get myself in the mood,” Blaine shrugs.

“And if you can’t?”

Blaine looks down at his knees, thinking of the previous night. “I power through it.”

They fall into silence, Blaine staring at his knees, feeling Kurt’s eyes staring a hole into the side of his face.

Blaine picks at the fabric of his pants, wanting nothing more than for this conversation to have never happened. Why couldn’t they have discussed the kiss, instead? Or the fact that Kurt had slept with Adam almost immediately after giving Blaine a book which practically confessed his feelings? Why _this_?

“Did you even want to become a concubine?”

Blaine turns to Kurt slowly, trying to hide the sorrow the question fills him with. Without saying a word he shakes his head.

“Oh, god,” Kurt covers his face with his hands. He stays that way for several moments, then lowers his hands quickly and looks at Blaine with wide eyes. “And me?”

Blaine wishes desperately that his heart would not skip a beat at the question. “What about you?”

“Do you want to be my friend?” Kurt asks. “Do you… do you really feel for me what I feel for you? Or are you simply fearful of the repercussions if you said no?”

Blaine shakes his head immediately. “No,” he says, throwing every ounce of honesty he has into the word. “Kurt, no.”

“But –”

“Kurt,” Blaine moves slightly closer to Kurt and puts a hand on his forearm. “The repercussions for being unfaithful to the King are far, far greater than those of saying no to him. I have tried desperately not to feel what I feel for you. I wish more than anything that I could make the feelings go away. But I… I can’t. I couldn’t even stop myself from becoming your friend, even though I knew it would turn the crush I already had on you into something far more dangerous.”

Kurt bites down on his bottom lip, and Blaine can see that he is attempting to hide a smile. “You had a crush on me?”

Blaine rolls his eyes. “Just as every boy and girl in the kingdom.”

Kurt can’t stop the smile from spreading this time. Despite how inappropriate it feels, Blaine cannot help but smile as well.

“So… so if I had asked you to kiss me earlier, would you have said yes because you feel you have to?”

Blaine shakes his head instantly. “I… To be honest I do not know what I would have said.”

“Blaine.” Kurt makes sure that Blaine is looking him directly in the eye before he continues. “I want you to know that if you say no to this question there will be no consequences. You will not be exiled, you will most certainly not be put to death, and I will not stop being your friend. If you decide to say no, I will respect that, and we will move on. Do you understand?”

Blaine nods carefully, heart already pounding wildly in his chest.

Kurt nods as well. “Can I kiss you, Blaine?”

He wasn’t lying moments earlier when he said he did not know how he would have responded if Kurt had asked earlier. He knows that part of him would have screamed yes, a thousand times yes, but that part may not have won out. He was still reeling from the previous day, still angry over seeing Adam leave Kurt’s room, and definitely angry over the argument he and Kurt were having. As well there was the King to consider. Blaine knew he should not be any more unfaithful to the King than he had already been.

Now, all he feels is deep and raw emotion. The conversation had been deeply personal, and Blaine feels as though he has cut himself open and poured every bit of himself out in front of Kurt. He feels connected, and safe, and although he does not believe that Kurt really understands everything that he says, he knows he listened and he knows he cares. He understood enough to ask, and to ensure that Blaine would know that he was at full liberty to say no.

That is more than the King has ever done for him.

A quiet, “Yes,” leaves his lips, and mere seconds later his face is being cupped in Kurt’s hands and his eyes are fluttering shut as Kurt’s lips meet his.

It’s a soft, gentle kiss, lasting longer than the first, and it’s everything Blaine imagined his first kiss with Kurt would be. His hand comes up to Kurt’s arm and curls around his bicep, holding Kurt in place, not wanting Kurt to pull away as soon as before.

Their lips glide over each other smoothly, and Blaine feels like he could drown.

Kurt is the one who breaks the kiss, and Blaine follows him as he goes, not wanting it to end.

“We should, um.” Kurt clears his throat and Blaine opens his eyes slowly. Kurt’s cheeks are bright red and his lips are darker than they were before. “We should head back to the castle.”

“What?” Blaine asks, moving forward, wanting another kiss.

“I – Blaine, I really want to keep kissing you. I promise you I do. But I don’t think right now is the best time for it.”

Blaine wants to disagree because his heart is telling him that it’s exactly the right time, but his mind… his mind agrees with Kurt. Right now really is not the time for them to be kissing like this. Not after the conversation they just had. Not after the argument they abandoned earlier. Not after the previous night.

“You’re right,” Blaine says, though he hates the words. He shuffles back, needing some distance from Kurt. “When, um. When? When is a good time?”

Kurt smiles fondly and reaches a hand out to caress Blaine’s cheek, tucking a single loose curl behind Blaine’s ear. Blaine flushes, self-conscious. He should really ask around about where to get a haircut.

“How about tomorrow?” Kurt asks. “I’ll call for you, tell Finn it’s because I want to discuss the book I lent you. That way we can think things over tonight. Or… you can.”

“I don’t need to think things over,” Blaine says, and Kurt shakes his head immediately.

“Yes, you do. You were right earlier, the consequences of infidelity are great, and my father has never been faced with such a thing. I... Nothing would happen to me if our affair were to be discovered. But you…”

Blaine’s heart drops into his stomach, but he still feels slightly happy at Kurt’s words. Maybe he understood more than Blaine gave him credit for.

“Alright,” Blaine nods. “But I want you to know, Kurt that my feelings aren’t going to change in a day. I’ve been trying to stop feeling like this for you for a long time, and I don’t think having kissed you is suddenly going to make that easier.”

“I understand,” Kurt says. “But maybe you will change your mind about wanting to… to be with me. Or try to be, at least.”

Blaine doubts it, but he nods regardless.

They both stand. Blaine brushes the sand off his buttocks, and Kurt shakes out his jacket. They stare at each for several moments, and Blaine briefly considers closing the gap between them and kissing Kurt again.

Kurt doesn’t want that though, so Blaine heads for the horses. He unties Pepper and mounts her immediately, waiting for Kurt to do the same with Daisy.

The ride back to the stable is as silent as the ride there had been, but this time the silence is far more charged. Thankfully the ride feels much shorter this time, as Blaine recognizes the return path. He hopes he will remember enough to come back sometime. He cannot imagine how beautiful the river would be in the summer.

Perhaps he and Kurt can return sometime then. Maybe even take a swim together. He smiles at the picture of them splashing about in the water, laughing and teasing each other, only for Kurt to pull him in close and kiss him square on the lips.

It’s a wonderful image.

Once they return to the stables and remove the riding gear from the horses, Blaine expects Kurt to say goodbye. He turns to him just as Kurt is patting Daisy on the nose. Kurt glances at him, and surprises him by saying, “I’ll walk you to the concubine quarters.”

Blaine nods, and after Kurt pats Daisy’s nose one final time they head back.

They are silent for the first few minutes, but this time Blaine does not have riding to focus on. All he has is his thoughts, which all center on Kurt and the morning he just spent with him. How could he have known that a day with such a terrible start would turn to this?

Blaine has been looking at his shoes, knowing the path well enough and trying to avoid looking at Kurt adoringly every few seconds, so Kurt’s quiet, “Shit,” surprises him.

He looks at Kurt first, then up to the path ahead and sees the King walking side by side with Lady Hudson, the two engaged in an animated conversation.

Lady Hudson notices them first, and she pauses, eyes widening. Blaine wonders if she can tell just by looking at them that they kissed. Twice. His hands twitch, wanting to run through his hair and over his face in an attempt to hide any evidence, but he forces them to stay at his side, knowing that the action would only be more suspicious.

The King spots them seconds later, and he glances between them, clearly surprised. “Kurt,” he says. “Blaine.”

“Father,” Kurt greets, and Blaine is surprised by how cold his tone is. He turns to Kurt with a frown and sees him glaring at his father.

The King hurries toward them, but instead of focusing on his son and his obvious anger he turns to Blaine. “Are you feeling better?” he asks, hands going to Blaine’s shoulders.

Blaine blushes, remembering how quickly he had left the King’s chambers that morning. “I am, Your Majesty,” he says softly. “I thought some fresh air might help my stomach, and it seems to have worked. My malady has all but passed.”

The King cups his face, as though inspecting him to ensure that he is telling the truth. “Good, good. I was desperately worried about you all morning.”

Blaine glances over the King’s shoulder and sees Lady Hudson looking away awkwardly, her cheeks dark red. He wonders if the King mentioned anything to her.

“Look, Blaine, I’m glad I saw you. I was going to send Mason but this is better,” the King tilts Blaine’s head up so that they are looking into each other’s eyes. “Will you do me the honour of having dinner with me tomorrow night? Just us two.”

Blaine glances at Kurt, their plans flashing through his mind. He looks back as quickly as possible and nods. “Of course, Your Majesty,” he says. “It would be an honour.”

“Father,” Kurt says, barely a second after Blaine has finished speaking. “I would like a word with you.”

The King looks away from Blaine, though he keeps his hands cupped around his cheeks. “Yes, certainly.” He looks back down at Blaine, as though asking for permission, and Blaine nods. The King turns around to look at Lady Hudson and says, “You’ll have to forgive me, Lady Hudson. I’m afraid I must cut our walk together short.”

Lady Hudson smiles and waves a dismissive hand in the air. “It is no worry at all, Your Majesty. I should probably do some training anyway.”

The King nods with a smile. He then turns back to Blaine and says, “I’ll send Mason for you tomorrow.”

“I will be waiting,” Blaine replies. The King rubs a thumb over his cheekbone, concern still written all over his face.

Kurt clears his throat, and the King steps back.

“Right. Blaine,” he nods his head, and Blaine bows in return. He then turns to Lady Hudson and bows his head as well, “Lady Hudson.”

“Your Majesty,” Blaine and Lady Hudson say at the same time. Blaine glances up to see Lady Hudson blushing once more, pursing her lips together as though embarrassed.

Blaine’s eyes go to Kurt as he and his father begin to walk in the direction the King and Lady Hudson came, turning onto the first side path that comes their way. Blaine watches them go, eyes on Kurt’s back, heart pounding wildly in his chest.

He turns to Lady Hudson, wanting to excuse himself, and finds her staring at the King with as much longing in her eyes as Blaine can only imagine is in his.

He bites his lip and wonders.

“I must take my leave as well, Lady Hudson,” he says, and she jumps slightly in surprise, turning away from the retreating backs of the men. Blaine bows slightly to her, and she bows in return. Blaine can see that red still streaks her cheeks.

“Of course, Blaine. It was lovely to see you.”

“And you, Lady Hudson,” he replies. He wants to ask, wants to confirm his suspicions, but with the day he has had he does not trust himself not to blurt out everything that happened this morning to her. So he bows once again, and walks past her, heading back to the castle and preparing for a long afternoon and night with nothing but his thoughts for company.

**

Blaine’s plan is to retire to his room the minute he returns to the concubine quarters, but much as with everything else in Blaine’s life, his plan doesn’t exactly work out.

Sebastian is sitting on one of the couches, leg bouncing up and down quickly, hands rubbing together almost anxiously. Blaine gives him a brief glance, but all he sees is Sebastian’s cock before him, in his mouth, Sebastian’s hands on him as the King watches, and suddenly his stomach is churning again.

He hurries toward his room, but Sebastian sees him and stops him with a sharp, “Blaine!”

Blaine pauses, then turns slowly. He doesn’t meet Sebastian’s eye as he greets him with a soft, “Sebastian.”

“I’ve been waiting for you. You weren’t in your room, so I assumed –” he’s standing and walking toward Blaine, who turns away from him. “I need to talk to you.”

“Um.” Blaine winces. “Sebastian, I don’t… I’m sorry, but I don’t really want to talk to you right now.”

“I won’t take much of your time,” Sebastian says, and Blaine sighs. He knows Sebastian well enough to know that he isn’t going to let it go until Blaine gives him what he wants.

He manages to make brief eye contact with Sebastian before he has to look away once more, eyes focusing on a bookshelf on the wall next to the door leading to his room. “What is it?”

“I just… I wanted to thank you.”

Blaine frowns, and can’t help but look at Sebastian in confusion. “Thank me?”

Sebastian nods. “For, you know, helping me distract him. If… If I’d had to fuck you… If he’d insisted I… I don’t know what I would have done.”

Blaine presses his lips together. “I didn’t exactly want you anywhere near my ass either.”

“I know,” Sebastian hurries to say. “But you still… You could have been a dick about it. Hell, I was being a dick about it. I knew he wanted us both and I didn’t warn you because I wanted to lord it over you. You had every right to screw me over in front of him, but you didn’t, so… thank you.”

Blaine shakes his head. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you.”

“I suspected as much, but still.”

“No, you don’t… how could I have been a dick about it, Sebastian? I didn’t want to be in that situation any more than you did. I already had to,” he gestures vaguely to Sebastian’s crotch, shame and disgust filling him as he remembers, “I didn’t want that part of you in any other part of me. Do you know how absolutely degrading it was to be forced to do that to you?”

Sebastian looks down at the ground, having the decency to look chastised. “I can’t imagine,” he whispers.

“Of course you can’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he starts towards his door, but Sebastian steps out to stop him. Blaine barely contains his groan. “What?” he snaps.

“I just – I’m sorry.”

Blaine’s eyes narrow. “What?”

“I’m sorry. For how I treated you, before. I won’t… I won’t treat you like that again, I swear. I know that doesn’t make it up to you, but –”

“You’re right, it doesn’t,” Blaine says, voice harsh.

Sebastian nods. “Right,” he says quietly. “Well, I’ll… I’ll let you rest. I’m sure your stomach is still bothering you from your… your food poisoning.”

Blaine glares at him harder. “You can’t possibly be stupid enough to think that it was food poisoning that made me sick this morning.”

Sebastian’s mouth opens, but shuts immediately after. He nods again and takes a step back, finally letting Blaine head into his room. He doesn’t stop to glance back at Sebastian, instead opening his door and slamming it shut behind him with as much force as possible.

**

Finally in his room, Blaine quickly changes into his sleep clothes and falls onto his bed, exhaustion immediately flowing through him. Everything catches up to him at once and Blaine finds himself shutting his eyes to take a nap instead of doing as Kurt asked and thinking about what he wants.

As he drifts off, his mind tells him that he doesn’t need to think about what he wants. He wants Kurt, has always wanted Kurt, and damn the repercussions. He is finally in a place where Kurt wants him back, something he’s dreamed of since he was a child. Is he really going to throw that away?

He smiles to himself as sleep takes him, thinking back on the two kisses he and Kurt shared. Oh, how worth the wait they had been.

**

He is woken up to a knock on his door, and he sits up blearily and calls out, “Who is it?”

“Elliott,” comes the voice behind the door. Blaine flops back down onto his pillow.

“Come in,” he says, though with less enthusiasm than before.

The door opens and Elliott peeks into the dark room. “Have you been sleeping all day?” Elliott asks.

Blaine stretches in bed, feeling his joints pop as he does. “Not all day. I went for a ride with Kurt earlier.”

Just saying those words brings a smile to Blaine’s face.

“I see. Well, get up, they’ve just brought dinner.”

Blaine wants to tell him that he is just going to skip dinner tonight, opting instead to stay in bed where his body yearns to be, but his stomach has another idea. It growls loudly at the mention of dinner and Blaine groans.

“Just give me a moment. I’ll meet you out there.”

Elliott nods and exits, closing the door quietly behind him. Blaine stretches again, hands going high above his head and toes curling. He sits up and rubs his hands over his face in an attempt to wake himself up further.

After a third stretch, Blaine forces himself to get out of bed and trudges to the common room, the promise of food the only thing keeping him from falling right back into his bed.

He is thankful he dragged himself out for this. There is a beautiful turkey sitting in the middle of the table being carved by Sue. He instantly finds himself more awake.

Brittany and Emma are not yet present, but Blaine still sits where he usually does, leaving two empty seats between himself and Will. Elliott smiles at him as he sits, while Sebastian purposefully looks away. Blaine can’t blame him. He doesn’t really want to look at Sebastian either.

Sue places a leg and a piece of breast on his plate, and Blaine thanks her quietly. He scoops some boiled vegetables onto his plate as well, then pours a large amount of decadent looking gravy over his entire plate. He is very happy he was woken for this.

Will and Sue fall into a conversation easily, but they are the only two who do so. Blaine eats his food with vigor, enjoying the delicious taste. It is a rare treat to have turkey, something his family could only ever afford for the holidays. He relishes every bite.

It is only when he is placing a second piece of turkey breast on his plate, as well as a second serving of vegetables, that he realizes that Emma and Brittany still aren’t here.

“Where are Emma and Brittany?” he asks, eyes on Elliott. Elliott looks up from his plate, lips pursed together.

“Emma is having an episode,” Blaine is surprised when Sebastian replies instead of Elliott. He looks over to the other man, though Sebastian does not look at him. His eyes are still on his entirely full plate, and he is pushing a couple of peas around his plate absently.

“Sebastian.” Sue’s voice carries a warning, but Sebastian doesn’t seem to hear it.

“She’s still scared the King is going to call on her. She saw the hickey on my neck when she came out and instantly burst into tears.”

Blaine nods, eyes going to the very same hickey. His stomach turns when he realizes he does not know whether it was himself or the King who placed it there.

“She’s not scared,” Will says, voice tight. “She’s just-”

“She’s terrified, Will,” Sebastian says, slamming his fork onto the plate. “And do you know what? I don’t blame her.”

Blaine swallows thickly as Sebastian and Will glare at each other.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Will says, jaw clenched.

“Actually, Will, I do. For what feels like the first time in my life, I know exactly what I’m talking about.”

His eyes go to Blaine and it only takes a second of eye contact for Blaine to see the pain and terror in Sebastian’s eyes. He looks down at his plate, wanting to push away all the feelings that evokes within him.

“You do, too,” Sebastian says, voice soft, and Blaine’s eyes flicker upwards to find Sebastian still staring at him.

Blaine presses his lips together, showing Sebastian that he is not going to speak.

Sebastian shakes his head and stands up. “I don’t know how you can all just sit there and act like this is okay. Emma is literally having a mental breakdown as we speak over the mere thought of being called on by the King, and we’re all just eating dinner like nothing is happening.”

Nobody replies. Blaine looks down at his plate, not wanting to see the desperation in Sebastian’s eyes for a second longer.

“Whatever,” Sebastian says, shaking his head. “You can all go on pretending like everything is totally fine, but I know better now. I know that that man is not who I thought he was, and I feel like a fool for ever thinking otherwise.”

He stomps off after that, his footsteps loud in the otherwise silent room.

Nobody speaks for several moments. The tension is enough to suffocate a man, and Blaine quietly stuffs a forkful of peas and carrots into his mouth, wanting to keep himself from saying something stupid.

Finally, Will sets his fork down as well and quietly says, “I’m going to go check on Emma.”

Blaine eats another forkful as Will walks away, and only once he hears a door open and close does he dare to look up.

Elliott is staring at him intently, brow furrowed. “Did something happen with you and Sebastian?”

Blaine chews on his bottom lip, swallowing the food in his mouth harshly. He glances at Sue and finds her equally interested. At the end of the table, Bryan has fallen asleep on his plate of food.

Blaine glances awkwardly between Sue and Elliott, then says, “It’s not my place,” and places his cutlery on the table. He stands, thanks Elliott for waking him for dinner, then silently makes his way to his own chamber.

Any chance he might do as Kurt asked and think on the possibility of them beginning a relationship is entirely gone now. All he can think of is how Sebastian is infuriatingly and devastatingly right.

He has never felt any sort of shame or disgust over his encounters with the King until now. Never has he thought of the King with anything but kindness. He trusted the King. He may not have loved the King, but he was fond of him. Despite everything, he didn’t resent him.

Now everything is confusing again, and that is terrifying. It seems as though every time he becomes accustomed to a new way of life he has the rug pulled out from under his feet. He hates that more than anything.

The one thing he does know for certain is that Sebastian is right. He does know better. Never had he thought that the King would put him in such a terrible situation, and he hates not knowing if the King would have stopped it should he have requested it. He hates that he couldn’t request it, nor could Sebastian.

Despite his hatred for Sebastian, he knows that he did not want what happened any more than Blaine did. Of course, he was not forced to perform such an intimate act on Blaine as Blaine was on him, but the damage of being forced into something he did not want is the same.

He thinks on the time that Emma cried in front of him, similarly worried that the King would call upon her. He did not know what to feel then, other than a confused sympathy over something he did not fully understand.

Like Sebastian said, he understands now, and confused sympathy has been replaced for agonizing empathy. He knows why Emma is terrified of the King calling upon her, for with every passing second he is becoming more terrified as well. He fears for his dinner with the King tomorrow night, unsure if he will be able to perform properly without thinking of the night before. Or worse, what if he shows up and Sebastian is waiting alongside the King yet again? What if they are forced to endure another night doing things neither wants to do, pretending like everything is okay, their resentment of the King growing by the minute?

Blaine crawls into bed, ignoring his usual bedtime routine, thankful he is already in his sleep clothes.

Through his mess of thoughts and emotions, a shining beacon comes through. His mind presents him with the memory of Kurt. Kurt listening to him, Kurt trying to understand despite his difficulty doing so, Kurt making sure that Blaine knew that, should he say no, his decision would be perfectly respected and would not be held against him in the least.

Kurt kissing him.

The weight on his heart lifts, and he finds himself drifting off to sleep, the tangled web of feelings relating to the King, Sebastian, and Emma falling into the box in his mind where he keeps things he does not wish to think about. The same box where Blaine has placed Dave and his parents. His frustration at Cooper, coupled with that exact same frustration directed at himself. The box where every memory he has of Westerville and his life reside.

He knows they won’t stay there, none of those things ever really do, but for now he allows himself to forget and instead focus on Kurt, his dream turned reality.

Damn the consequences. Kurt is the only thing that makes sense in his life anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it's technically Friday where I live, so I'm not really late? :P So I finally have enough wifi to post this on tumblr, as well as to update the [ warnings for this fic ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost) so please make sure to check those out! Also, this fic is now available in full on tumblr as well, so if you prefer that format, just head to the bottom of this chapter for a link :) 
> 
> I don't want to make any promises as to when I will begin posting part five of this verse. I really don't want to have too much of a wait between updates, but I'm having some really bad writers block on the part I'm currently writing (part 7), and I don't want to begin posting part 5 until I've written at least 50% of that part. My goal is to begin posting part 5 (which is only three chapters) in three weeks, but like I said, it all depends. Send me some good anti-writer's block vibes, okay? :P
> 
> A thousand thanks to mailroomorder for beta-ing this fic, and this whole series. She's honestly the best beta in the world. For real.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! If you're here for the klaine, I think you will ;)

When Blaine arrives in the common room for breakfast the next morning, freshly showered and scrubbed everywhere (and he means _everywhere_ ; he was very thorough), it is to find Emma sitting at the table with Will, their hands clasped together, whispering softly to one another.

Blaine does not want to interrupt, but he is also quite hungry, so he tries to walk to the table and pick up food as quietly as he can manage.

Apparently his quietest is not quiet enough, as Emma looks up and sees him barely a second after he has reached the table.

“Good morning, Blaine,” she greets, voice weak and wobbly, as though she were about to burst into tears at any moment. Blaine feels his chest tighten at the sight of her, empathy flooding through his body.

“Good morning, Emma,” he says in return. Then, “Will,” he nods in the man’s direction. Will nods back, but his position remains the same, his hands looking tighter where they clutch Emma’s.

He does not know what else to say, so instead he silently picks up two rolls and places them on a plate, which he then fills with fruit. He nods to them each once more, then turns around and heads to the couch farthest away from the table, wanting to give them some semblance of privacy.

He would return to his room to eat, but he does not know when Kurt may call for him, and he’d prefer to make as little of a scene over it as possible.

He eats silently, trying to ignore the whispers from across the room. In the past he felt awkward around situations like this, largely due to a lack of understanding of what exactly was going on, and how to deal with it. While he still has no idea how to deal with this situation, he no longer lacks the understanding of why Emma acts the way she acts. He knows far too well, actually.

He picks at his food, wondering how many times Emma had to perform sexual acts she did not wish to perform on the King before Will began going instead of her. After only one night with the King and Sebastian, Blaine is already weary of what will happen tonight after his dinner with the King. How many more times will he have to endure before he becomes as skittish as Emma? As anxious?

Unlike Emma, of course, he does not have a Will to go in his stead. He knows in the past Sebastian would take any of Blaine’s time with the King from him in a heartbeat, but he is not quite sure if that is the case now.

He puts a grape in his mouth and chews it slowly.

What must have happened the very first time that Will went to the King instead of Emma. Was the King angry? Did he punish Emma for not coming when commanded to? Was Will forced to endure the brunt of his anger in her stead?

Clearly this is a system they have had in place for quite some time, and it is obvious that they have not had any issues up until this point, otherwise Emma would have spent the past six months in a similar state of panic, rather than simply the past two weeks.

Then again, Blaine was the only concubine being called for over five months. Before that it was almost exclusively Sebastian for almost a year. Perhaps it is not that the system works, but rather that it hasn’t had to for over a year and a half.

Blaine swallows his grape and presses his fingers to his head. His thoughts are all over the place, and he does not like that he is questioning the kindness and integrity of the King as deeply as he is. Only a few days ago he would never wonder over the King’s reaction to Will appearing when Emma was called. He trusted the King, believed him when he said he would stop if Blaine said no. If that was the case, then he would have no problems, choosing instead to enjoy the extra time with Will instead of punishing him for denying him Emma. Now, though…

 _Neither you nor Sebastian said no_ , a traitorous voice whispers. _You do not know if he would actually stop if you said no if you never say no_.

Blaine picks up another grape and eats it faster than the last.

 _I am not in the position to say no_ , he reminds himself. _And yet, how can I know what would happen if I said no if I never say no?_

He sets the food down on the side table next to the couch and lays his head on the backrest. All of this back and forth was giving him a headache.

The main door opens and Blaine flicks his eyes toward it, though he doesn’t raise his head. His heartbeat quickens when he sees Finn standing there, but manages to stay put instead of hurrying to him.

Finn’s eyes find him and he smiles. “Oh, good, you’re already awake. Prince Kurt has requested an audience with you.”

Blaine glances back at Emma and Will, who are watching confused. “With me?” he asks, turning back to Finn. “What could the Prince want with me?”

Finn shrugs. “He said something about discussing a book you had both read?”

Blaine presses his lips together to stop himself from smiling widely. Oh, Kurt, that clever minx. “Yes, of course.” He stands, making sure not to do so with too much enthusiasm. “Lead the way,” he says, gesturing to the doors, even though he knows exactly where Kurt’s room is. Finn nods and begins to do so.

They walk in silence for some time, but eventually it seems that Finn can no longer take it and asks him, “Have you spoken to Rachel recently?”

Blaine shakes his head. “I have been banned from the kitchens just as much as I am sure you have.”

Finn shakes his head. “It’s ridiculous. I know Rachel is her best cook, but she needs down time too. And who better to spend that down time than with her betro-”

Finn stops speaking and looks at Blaine with wide eyes, as though hoping Blaine would not catch his slip-up. Blaine, though, is too excited by the news to pretend not to have heard.

“You and Rachel are betrothed?” he asks, trying to keep his voice down despite his excitement. “Oh, Finn, that is wonderful! Congratulations!”

Finn gives him a tight smile. “It was meant to be a secret. At least until she asked my mother for her blessing. She, um,” he blushes and looks away, “she asked me, so.”

Blaine smirks. “I see,” he says slyly. Seeing the uncomfortable look on Finn’s face, he asks, “What is the matter? Are you worried that your mother will not grant her blessing?”

“Well, Rachel is,” Finn replies. “She’s honestly too intimidated by her to even approach her. She worries that my mother will think she is beneath me and not allow our marriage. I’ve told her time and time again that just because my mother is a knight does not mean that-”

“Wait,” Blaine puts a hand on Finn’s arm to stop him. Finn turns to him and raises an eyebrow. “Your mother is Lady Hudson?”

“She is,” Finn says. “You did not know?”

“I…” Blaine shakes his head. “I knew she had a son who was a page but…”

“Oh, well. Yes, that is me.”

“I do not understand,” he says, just as confused as he was when Kurt mentioned this to him. “If your mother is a knight, then why are you only a page?”

Finn’s eyebrow raises higher. “Well, she wasn’t always a knight.”

Exactly as Kurt had said. Blaine sighs. “Yes, so I’ve heard.”

“Right, well, when she was knighted I was offered a noble title as well, but I refused. I do not need land or riches, in the same way that my mother has refused these privileges despite her position in court.”

Blaine can’t help but smile as he realizes the true reason Finn refused to raise his position on the castle. “If you were noble you could not marry Rachel.”

Finn flushes again and begins to walk once more. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “I was only thirteen when my mother was knighted. I did not know yet who I would marry. Besides, I could have always asked for Rachel to be my concubine and then married her after that.”

“But you didn’t want that,” Blaine says. “You loved her too much, even then, to have her as anything but your wife.”

Finn gives him a short glance and shakes his head. “I do not see concubines as something shameful or unworthy of love, Blaine. I just…” he glances around the halls, making sure nobody hears him. “I just knew that she would not like that life. The waiting around, doing nothing. She hates to be idle. As my wife she can remain a cook in the kitchen. As my concubine, she could only visit the kitchens occasionally, and would no longer hold the jurisdiction there that she does now.”

“Of course,” Blaine nods, smiling softly.

Finn glances at him quickly, then says, quietly, “I may not know you very well Blaine, but I do hope that you do not feel as though you are somehow less worthy of love than a husband would be.”

Blaine frowns. “I _am_ less than a husband, though. I have no ring on my finger, and no power over this household.”

“Yes, I suppose in terms of power and position you are, technically, less than a husband. But not in terms of personhood. Just because the King has not asked you to be his husband does not mean that you do not deserve to be loved, or that, should you ever be released as a concubine, you would not be able to find a husband or wife. Your position as a concubine does not make you unworthy of love. Just… please remember that.”

Blaine’s heart warms at Finn’s kind words. “Thank you, Finn,” he says. “You know, for a page you have quite strong views on concubines.”

Finn shrugs. “It’s a personal matter to me,” he says.

Before Blaine can question him further, Finn stops walking, and Blaine realizes that they have reached Kurt’s chambers.

Finn bows to the guards standing next to the doors and they open the doors for him to enter. Finn enters slowly, and Blaine follows him.

The outer room of Kurt’s chambers looks the same as the last time he was here. He barely has time to look around, though, before Kurt is standing from the couch, drawing Blaine’s attention to him like a beacon.

“Thank you, Finn,” he says. “Here,” he picks up a rather large leather bag sitting next to the couch and holds it out to Finn. “If you could take these clothes to the launderers I would greatly appreciate it. I will not need you for at least an hour, so once that is finished find Mason and ask him if there are any tasks he would like you to perform. If there are not, you may take the hour for personal time.”

Finn bows and says, “Of course, Your Highness.” He takes the leather bag from Kurt, bows again, and exits the room.

Blaine does not move until the doors have shut entirely behind Finn and he and Kurt are alone.

As soon as that is the case he rushes into Kurt’s arms, wraps his own arms around Kurt’s neck, and presses an urgent kiss to Kurt’s mouth.

Kurt’s hands go to his waist and steady him, his lips curving upward under his mouth. “Well, hello to you, too,” Kurt murmurs when they part. “I take it you have reached a decision in regards to our mutual feelings?”

Blaine nods quickly and kisses Kurt again, quick and simple this time. “Nothing makes sense but you,” he whispers. “Whenever I am with anybody else in this castle my emotions are a mess. Even when I am alone I do not know how to feel, my thoughts everywhere and nowhere all at once. But with you…” he smiles and leans in so close that their noses brush. “I know how I feel about you. I know there will be consequences, even if we are not discovered, as I am already wracked with guilt for simply feelings for you what I feel, but damn them all. I need at least one thing in my life that makes sense.”

He kisses Kurt again, and Kurt’s fingers tighten at his waist, digging into his skin and pressing Blaine closer to him. “So I am to be your escape, is that it?” he asks, and Blaine can hear the teasing tone in his voice.

“Not an escape,” he replies, without even a hint of tease. “A refuge.”

Kurt’s hands drop to his hips and bring him impossibly closer, lips meeting Blaine’s yet again. Blaine responds swiftly, lips gliding against Kurt’s deliciously.

They separate and Kurt begins saying, “But are you sure that-” before Blaine cuts him off with another kiss. He spends enough of his days going back and forth in his head about literally everything. This is one thing he does not want to overanalyze.

“You know,” he whispers, hands falling from Kurt’s neck to his shoulders, “last time I was here you didn’t show me your bedchambers.”

“Blaine…” Kurt sighs, linking his hands together at the small of Blaine’s back. “Are you sure? I… I do not know everything that happened, but I know it was only two days ago that you and my father and Sebastian…” he trails off, as though unable to finish the sentence.

Blaine lifts his chin up and kisses Kurt slowly, deeply, tongue running over Kurt’s lips but not dipping into his mouth yet; a tease. “Kurt,” he says, voice soft and quiet. “Right now, in this moment, I want you.”

“But-”

“Do you trust me,” he interrupts, making sure that Kurt is looking into his eyes as he speaks, “to tell you to stop if I am not comfortable with what we are doing?”

Kurt presses his lips together, eyes clouding over with doubt. Quietly, he asks, “Do you trust me to stop if you ask me to?”

Blaine swallows thickly and, going with his heart, nods.

Kurt takes in a deep breath, then leans in and kisses Blaine again. His hands run up Blaine’s back, wide and firm. Blaine melts in his embrace.

“Then,” Kurt says, still speaking quietly, “I guess I better show you my bedchamber.”

He takes a step back from Blaine and Blaine instantly feels cold without Kurt’s arms around him. Kurt holds his hand out to him, wiggling his fingers in invitation. Blaine smiles, giddy, and slips his hand into Kurt’s, their fingers intertwining immediately.

Kurt leads the way, guiding him the short distance between the couch and the door leading to his bedchambers. They share another smile as they enter the room, and Blaine realizes that he’s missed this. The thrill of sleeping with somebody for the first time, somebody he knows he shouldn’t be with, but who he just loves too much to stay away from.

Although, he has to admit, it feels different than it did with David. With David the entire experience had been tinged with melancholy, the knowledge that this would be the only time they could do this. David was giving him something that Blaine should have been able to give in return, something that was meant to be only for them. Even though they couldn’t have known that Blaine would be taken to the capital the very next day, it felt like a first and last time.

Here, with Kurt, it feels like a first time. A first of many, if Blaine has his way. Whereas with David there was sadness, with Kurt there is hope and excitement.

Excitement is not something he has felt about sex in… well, ever.

“So these are my bedchambers,” Kurt says, gesturing to the room. Blaine doesn’t bother looking, not wanting to take his eyes off his beloved for even a moment.

“They’re beautiful,” he says, loving the smile on Kurt’s face, the joy in his eyes. It’s wonderful to see his own excitement reflected in Kurt’s eyes, to know that they both want this desperately and, most importantly, equally.

Kurt shuts the door behind them and tugs Blaine toward the bed. They pause briefly to take off their boots, then climb onto the bed together, Kurt crawling on top of Blaine as soon as Blaine’s head hits the pillows.

Kurt kisses him swiftly, with absolutely no hesitation. Blaine’s hands come up to his shoulders again, fingers bunching in the soft fabric of Kurt’s shirt, wanting him closer. Kurt’s tongue dips into his mouth, smooth against his own, and Blaine wonders how it is possible his entire body has not already melted with how wonderful Kurt is making him feel.

They continue kissing for what is both an eternity and not nearly long enough. Blaine does not think he will ever grow tired of Kurt’s kisses, of Kurt’s hands on his hips, his waist, his shoulders, his jaw. He wants those hands everywhere; wants to know what they feel like on his bare skin.

He lowers his hands to where Kurt’s shirt meets his pants, and is thankful that Kurt is not wearing a vest or jacket for once, despite how wonderful he looks in them. He untucks Kurt’s shirt eagerly, desperate to have him shirtless above him. He wants to run his hands all over Kurt just as badly as he wants Kurt’s hands all over him.

Kurt gets the message easily and breaks their kiss so that he can pull his shirt up and over his head. He discards it haphazardly and instantly goes back to kissing Blaine, this time on the neck instead of the lips, barely giving Blaine a moment to take in all the wonderful skin that has just been revealed to him.

Kurt begins to suck on one particular spot on Blaine’s neck, and Blaine groans at how wonderful it feels, but pulls him away seconds after. “No marks,” he whispers.

“Damn,” Kurt replies, swiping over the spot he’d been kissing with his thumb, lips coming out in a petulant pout. “I want more than anything to see you walking down the halls with love bites up and down your neck, knowing that I was the one who put them there.”

“As do I,” Blaine replies. “But we must be careful. If it were discovered that we’re-”

“I know,” Kurt says with a heavy sigh. “I know.”

Blaine smiles up at him. He brings a hand up to Kurt’s face and looks into those beautiful eyes that have haunted his dreams for years. “You’re beautiful,” he says.

Kurt’s cheeks flood with pink and he ducks his head, which presses his cheek further into Blaine’s hand.

“Nobody has ever called me beautiful before,” he says, turning his face gently and pressing a kiss to the edge of Blaine’s palm.

“I do not believe that,” Blaine replies. Kurt chuckles and kisses his hand again.

“It’s true,” he says, turning so that he can look Blaine in the eye. “Handsome, yes, but never beautiful.”

“Well you are,” Blaine says, tilting his head up to give Kurt a soft, gentle kiss. “Both handsome _and_ beautiful.”

Kurt kisses him again, his hands going down to Blaine’s waist and untucking his shirt. “It’s not fair,” he says as he rucks Blaine’s shirt up his chest. “You’ve already seen me shirtless, but I’ve never seen you.”

“Oh, well that must be remedied immediately,” Blaine teases, lifting his arms so that Kurt can pull his shirt off him.

Once the article has been tossed off the bed in the same direction Kurt’s own shirt went, Kurt looks down at him with complete awe written across his face. His hands fall to Blaine’s stomach and begin to run up and down his chest softly and slowly, savouring him.

“Now, I _know_ you have been called beautiful before,” he whispers. “But, god, Blaine, I cannot think of another word to describe you. You’re just…” his hands fan out when they lower back to his waist, gripping him there. “You’re absolutely stunning.”

“Not as stunning as you,” Blaine replies.

Kurt shakes his head and dips down to kiss him.

Their chests press together as they kiss, and Blaine is surprised at the softness of Kurt’s skin. He does not know why, seeing how soft the Prince’s hands are, but it is still a pleasant surprise.

They continue to kiss, Kurt’s fingers digging into Blaine’s skin, Blaine’s hands running up and down the strong, broad plains of Kurt’s back.

He can’t believe he’s here. Here with Kurt, here with the _Prince_. Can’t believe Kurt wants him just as desperately as Blaine wants _him_.

It feels almost too good to be true.

Kurt gives a playful nip to Blaine’s bottom lip, then whispers, “What is something you’ve never done before?”

Blaine is still a little distracted by Kurt’s shoulders under his hands and Kurt’s lips being so close to his, and so completely misses the question. “What?” he asks, in a daze.

“What is something you’ve never done before?” Kurt repeats. He pulls away far enough so that they can look each other in the eye. Blaine frowns at the question, and Kurt elaborates, “I know this may sound silly but, well, I would be honoured if you would gift me with at least one of your firsts.”

Blaine smiles softly and brings his hand back to Kurt’s cheek, thumb stroking the pink that has blossomed there. “I wish you could have had them all,” he admits.

Kurt’s smile is fond, though bittersweet. “As do I.”

Things have gotten too emotional, considering the position they’re in, so Blaine kisses Kurt, trying to reignite the passion from moments earlier.

“To tell you the truth,” Blaine murmurs against Kurt’s lips, “I don’t know if I would be able to tell you what I have not done, as I only discover what I have not done after I do it for the first time.”

Kurt growls into his mouth and says, “That should not make me more attracted to you.”

They continue kissing, Blaine bringing his hands up to tangle in Kurt’s hair. It’s silky soft and feels as perfect under his fingers as he always fantasized it would.

“So,” Kurt says, kissing the corner of Blaine’s lips. “Would you like me to name sexual acts, and you can tell me what you have and have not done?”

Blaine chuckles and shakes his head. “That would take far too long,” he says. “I could… I could tell you what I _have_ done, and you can tell me whatever else there is?”

Kurt pulls away slightly, holding his arms out so that he is hovering above Blaine. He raises an eyebrow and says, “You want to list all of the sexual acts you have done with my father whilst in bed with me?”

Blaine feels himself blushing and quickly shakes his head again. “I did not think…”

“It’s okay,” Kurt says, a smile creeping onto his face. “I know you didn’t, I’m sorry. I should not have said anything.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have, because now all Blaine can think of is how this is the King’s _son_. The King who he spent five months having sex with at least twice a week. And now he is in bed with that man’s _son_. He is _in love_ with that man’s son.

“Oh, god,” Blaine groans. “Please, kiss me so that I can stop thinking of your father and the fact that he’s… well, your father.”

Kurt does as asked, dipping down and claiming Blaine’s lips in a wonderfully passionate kiss. Blaine tightens his fingers in Kurt’s hair and pulls him closer, so that their chests are once again touching.

God, he is so happy to be kissing Kurt. To be _touching_ Kurt. It feels cleansing, considering the last person he kissed and touched like this was…

He pulls away, pressing his lips together as another intrusive thought enters his head. Kurt pulls back once again, and this time the eyebrow he raises is in concern.

“Are you all right?” he asks, voice quiet and gentle. Blaine nods.

“Sorry,” he says. “I just, um. I was thinking of…”

Kurt sighs and rolls off of him. He leans on his side and places a hand over Blaine’s chest. “Of my father?”

Blaine shakes his head. “Of Sebastian.”

He looks away, not wanting to see the pity in Kurt’s eyes. He wonders if Emma felt this terrible when she spoke to him that one time. How little had he made her feel, with the pity he showed her, pity he did not even understand?

“We don’t have to do this,” Kurt says, fingers swirling gently over Blaine’s chest. “Just being around you is enough. Just knowing that you like me, that you would risk so much just to be with me… it’s more than enough, Blaine.”

“I know,” Blaine says, then turns so that he is on his side as well. He looks into Kurt’s eyes, and instead of pity he finds sympathy. He finds honesty and caring. He smiles, shuffles closer, and kisses Kurt again.

Kurt kisses back, though this time there is hesitation in his movements. “Blaine,” he says as they part, but Blaine quickly kisses him once more. One of Kurt’s hands comes to Blaine’s face and cups his cheek, holding him close. “Blaine,” he says once more, the word mumbled by Blaine’s lips.

“Yes, Kurt?” Blaine replies, going for teasing.

“I was serious,” Kurt says, moving his head back so that there is some distance between them. “We do not have to do this. I can wait. I don’t mind waiting for you. I’ve waited this long already.”

Blaine feels his cheeks heat up again. “How long have you waited?” he asks, a smile creeping onto his face.

Kurt’s smile is soft, tender. He leans in close, but doesn’t close the final gap between them. “Too long,” he admits, his lips barely brushing against Blaine’s. “Which means I do not mind waiting longer.”

Blaine shakes his head and says, “I want this. I want… I want you to erase the memory of him. Of _them_.”

Kurt’s hand goes to Blaine’s side and he gently rubs up and down his skin. “Yeah?”

Blaine nods. “And, um. Speaking of them. I just thought of something I’ve never done before.”

Kurt raises an eyebrow and Blaine silently picks up Kurt’s hand and guides it down to his ass. It rests there for only a second before Kurt squeezes the cheek in his hand. Blaine bites down on his bottom lip to stop a moan.

Kurt’s hand feels so much more wonderful than the King’s ever could.

Kurt smirks and his eyebrow raises higher. “Blaine, are you trying to tell me that you’ve never…” he trails off, eyes darting to where his hand is squeezing Blaine’s ass.

Blaine shakes his head, then presses his lips together, trying to find the right word to say it. “No, I’ve done that,” he says, voice quieter than he was expecting it would be. “And – and fingers, of course. But I’ve never – um.” He takes a deep breath. “God, why can’t I get this out?”

“It’s okay,” Kurt says, the hand not on his ass pushing a stray curl away from Blaine’s forehead. “Take your time.”

Blaine smiles tightly. “I just – it’s something that happened, between… between Sebastian and…”

“My father?” Kurt finishes for him. “Blaine, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. We don’t… we don’t have to do something you’ve never done. I already told you, we don’t have to do anything today.”

Blaine shakes his head. “I want to. I really, really want to replace my memory of this act from something so terrible to something wonderful. I know you can make it wonderful.”

Kurt smiles, and the warmth in his eyes makes Blaine feel like he could fly. “Take your time,” he repeats, and Blaine nods.

“I just don’t know what it’s called,” he says, wincing at how insecure and inexperienced he sounds. “But it’s… it’s when you use your… your mouth? Um. There.”

Kurt’s hand squeezes Blaine’s ass tightly as soon as he gets it out, and he whispers, “Oh, my god,” his eyes shutting and his face relaxing.

“Oh my god good, or oh my god bad?” Blaine asks. Kurt opens one eye, then shuffles forwards so that his hips are pressed against Blaine’s thigh.

Blaine’s eyes widen at the hardness that greets him. He looks up at Kurt, who looks as though he does not know if he did the right thing. Blaine’s breathing quickens as he rolls his hips, wanting Kurt to feel his own hardness.

“ _Oh_ ,” Kurt moans.

Blaine smiles nervously. “So, oh my god good, I presume?”

“Very, _very_ good,” Kurt says, nodding emphatically.

“And you want to… to do that? You would…?”

“Eat you out?” Kurt finishes, still nodding. “Oh, yes, Blaine. A thousand times yes. You have no idea how many times I fantasized about just that.”

Blaine’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “You… you have?”

“Have you _seen_ your ass?” Kurt asks, and gives it another squeeze for emphasis.

Blaine kisses Kurt then, rocking his entire body forward, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s neck as best as he can in the position they are in. Kurt presses against Blaine, then swings his leg over Blaine’s hip and pushes them over so that he is once again on top of Blaine.

Kurt kisses him on the lips once more, then moves down to kiss over his jaw, then down his neck. Blaine’s fingers find themselves tangled in Kurt’s hair once more. He finds his breathing becoming quicker the lower Kurt’s lips travel, and by the time Kurt is licking the skin just above his pants he’s a writhing mess.

Fingers dip under his pant waist and tug down slowly. Blaine lifts his hips to help Kurt along, and groans when Kurt presses a soft kiss to the inside of his thigh.

“You’re gorgeous,” Kurt whispers after his pants have been discarded, leaving Blaine in only his undergarments. “Even more beautiful than I could have imagined.”

Blaine smiles fondly and says, “So are you.”

Without further ado, Kurt removes Blaine’s undergarments as well, leaving him completely naked before the man he loves for the first time.

“Oh, Blaine,” Kurt says reverently, fingers caressing Blaine’s thighs, eyes glued to his cock. “You’re amazing.”

Blaine bites his lip as Kurt kisses the inside of his thigh again. He’s never had anybody’s lips anywhere near this area of his body, and every kiss feels like Kurt is setting him on fire.

As he kisses up Blaine’s thigh, Kurt cups Blaine’s knee and tugs it up so that it rests on Kurt’s shoulder, leaving him entirely exposed to Kurt’s eye.

“ _God_ ,” Kurt groans, shifting slightly forward. Blaine shivers as his warm breath hits his exposed pucker and pre-emptively grabs a handful of the sheets under him. Kurt kisses him where his thigh meets his ass cheek, and Blaine has to bite his lip to stop himself from moaning loudly.

Kurt glances up and sighs, the air hitting Blaine’s hole again and making him clench. “I wish I could tell you to be as loud as you wish,” he says, rubbing a hand over Blaine’s stomach. “I want to hear you more than anything. As it is…”

“We must be careful,” Blaine says, nodding his understanding.

Kurt holds his gaze for several moments, both mourning the freedom to completely give themselves over to ecstasy. Then, still keeping his eyes on Blaine’s, Kurt leans down and laves his tongue directly over Blaine’s hole.

Blaine’s teeth sink painfully deeper into his bottom lip as Kurt gives his hole kitten licks, clenching his knee around Kurt’s shoulder and digging his heel into Kurt’s back. It feels wonderful, unlike anything Blaine has even dreamed of feeling before, and he thanks the stars that he decided to be so thorough with his shower this morning because _this_ … god, this feels _amazing_.

Kurt’s fingers come to his cheeks and pull them aside, exposing Blaine further to him. Blaine pushes his ass towards Kurt’s mouth, already desperate for more. Kurt tongues over his hole with expertise, pushing in slightly every few licks, squeezing his ass in his hands, groaning against his skin.

When Kurt finally penetrates him with his tongue, Blaine has to bring his forearm up to his mouth and bite into it to stop from screaming Kurt’s name.

As Kurt begins to fuck his tongue in and out of Blaine’s hole, one hand leaves Blaine’s ass and slithers up his thigh and hip, finally wrapping around his cock.

Blaine bucks into it, but immediately pushes back down, wanting Kurt’s mouth closer to him. Kurt removes his tongue from Blaine’s hole and licks languorously around it, pumping Blaine’s cock with the rhythm of the swirls of his tongue.

Blaine can feel his orgasm building, and hates how quickly he is about to come. He wants this moment to last forever, wants Kurt between his thighs for the rest of his life. He can’t decide if he wants to thrust up into Kurt’s hand or down into Kurt’s beautiful mouth, and so keeps doing both, wishing more than anything that he could thrust both up and down at the same time.

“Beautiful,” Kurt whispers against his hole, lapping at it softer than Blaine needs. “Perfect. Want to fuck you, so badly.”

Blaine bites into his arm again as Kurt presses his tongue back into Blaine’s hole and twists his hand around the head of Blaine’s cock just right. The pain in his arm does not deter any of the pleasure coursing through his body, and before he can do anything to stop it he is coming hard over Kurt’s hand, hips thrusting up, up, up. Kurt strokes him through it, keeping up the same rhythm until Blaine drops his arm onto the mattress and whispers a hoarse, “Sensitive.”

Kurt carefully removes his hand from Blaine’s cock and lifts himself up from between Blaine’s legs. He kisses up his chest, neck, jaw, but Blaine stops him before he can reach his lips.

Kurt pouts. “I want to kiss you,” he says, bordering on a whine.

“You just had your tongue in my ass, Kurt,” Blaine replies, chuckling at the petulance on Kurt’s face.

“So?” Kurt replies. “You weren’t dirty or anything. Almost like you were expecting to have something down there,” he mouths at his jaw, and Blaine sighs, content and spent.

“Better safe than sorry,” Blaine says, and Kurt chuckles.

He moves slightly against Blaine, and Blaine realizes that Kurt is still hard in his pants. He grins wickedly and brings his hands to Kurt’s hips, already beginning to push his pants down.

“Let me help you with that,” he says, smirking as Kurt groans against his neck. He shucks his own pants off quickly, and Blaine feels his heartbeat quicken when he realizes Kurt is not wearing any undergarments.

His cock is absolutely beautiful. Blaine has never thought of a cock that way before, not even David’s, but he can’t help but be in awe of Kurt’s. Long and slightly curved, bobbing against his stomach, begging for Blaine to touch it.

So, he does. He reaches a hand down and gives Kurt’s cock a long, hard stroke.

“I’m not going to last,” Kurt whispers, biting his bottom lip, bringing his hands up to Blaine’s shoulders and digging in his fingers there.

Blaine can’t bring himself to look away from where Kurt’s cock is fucking his fist, wanting to memorize every second of this. His breath catches in his throat every time he sees the pink head of Kurt’s cock poke through the top of his fist, and he gives it a small twist, similar to what Kurt did to him.

“God, Blaine,” Kurt says, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s, their breath mingling together warmly. “You’re so… you’re so amazing. I can’t believe you’re here, can’t believe you’re with me.”

“Neither can I,” Blaine says, speeding up his pumps. Kurt groans rather loudly, and Blaine can’t even be bothered to tell him to keep it down. He flicks his wrist again, just under the crown of Kurt’s cock, and Kurt is coming just as hard as he had, come painting his stomach, Blaine’s stomach, and Blaine’s hand.

As Kurt did for him, Blaine strokes him through it, only letting go when Kurt pushes off of him and rolls over so that they are lying on their backs, side by side.

They lie in silence for several moments, the only sound in the room their ragged breathing.

“You are more incredible than I ever could have imagined,” Kurt says finally. Blaine turns his head slightly to look at him, and finds Kurt staring back, eyes wide and full of adoration.

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” Blaine says with a shy smile.

Kurt sighs happily, then groans. “I don’t want to move,” he complains. “But I don’t want this come to dry on us.”

Blaine leans over and kisses Kurt’s shoulder. “I’ll get us a cloth.”

“You’re an angel,” Kurt says, breathless. “There should be some towels and a pitcher of warm water on the table.”

Blaine forces himself to sit up, then raises an eyebrow at Kurt, who just smiles up at him innocently. “Looks like I wasn’t the only one who was prepared,” he says as he hops off Kurt’s bed and heads to the table to get the cloths and the water.

As he carefully wets the towels with water, he is suddenly struck by an image of himself doing this after his very first time with the King. At the time he’d felt nothing but gratitude at the fact that the King still found him attractive even though he was no longer untouched. He was looking for a silver lining in a terrible situation.

Now, he glances up to see Kurt smiling at him fondly, eyes full of love. His heart warms in his chest, and he no longer feels naked, instead at ease with the man he has grown to love.

He does not need to look for a silver lining with Kurt. Kurt himself is the silver lining.

“You’ve been there too long,” Kurt says, once again pouting. “Get back here so I can cuddle you.”

Blaine chuckles and hurries over with the warm towels. He cleans Kurt first, running the cloth over his stomach and spent cock reverently, then does himself far more carelessly. He tosses the cloths onto the floor once he is done with them, wanting to be in Kurt’s arms as soon as possible.

Kurt maneuvers them under the covers without much difficulty, then pulls Blaine close, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and the other around his stomach.

“You are amazing,” he says, pressing a soft kiss to Blaine’s temple. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

Warmth seeps through Blaine as he cuddles closer to his Prince, smile wide on his face as he says, “You didn’t have to do anything. Just being yourself was enough to sweep me away.”

**

Blaine wishes he could stay and cuddle with Kurt forever, but unfortunately Kurt still has princely duties. Besides, they are meant to be discussing a book. He can’t imagine why that would take as long as it already has.

They dress in silence and then, after Kurt has rinsed his mouth out with water several times, they share a kiss goodbye at the door to Kurt’s bedchamber.

“When can we see each other again?” Kurt asks, lips lingering near Blaine’s.

“As soon as possible,” Blaine whispers in reply.

He does not wish to leave, but knows he must, especially if he is to ready himself for his dinner with the King in only a few hours. With one final kiss he bids Kurt farewell, promising that they will meet again as soon as they can.

He walks down the hallways alone, Finn not around to escort him this time. As he walks, he feels as though everybody roaming the halls knows, like they can see right into his mind and know exactly what he has done.

Strangely enough, he feels no guilt. He knows he should, knows he has just been unfaithful to the King, and with the worst person possible, and yet he cannot bring himself to regret his decision to be with Kurt. He feels happier than he has in months, like his very spirit has been lifted, and the closer he gets to the concubine quarters, the less he thinks about what others might assume.

The common room in the concubine quarters are empty, so Blaine is able to go back to his chambers without being questioned about his good mood. He cannot keep the smile off his face, even as he flops onto his bed and forces himself to think about what will happen tonight at his dinner with the King.

Nothing can bring him down, he thinks. Absolutely nothing.

**

He showers before he goes to meet with the King, hoping to wipe any scent of Kurt off himself. He may not regret his decision, but he still knows that it will not bode well for him if his afternoon activities are discovered.

He dresses nicely, in tighter clothes than he would usually wear to meet the King. He hopes that the more difficult laces and buttons will discourage the King from wanting to sleep with him, something he desperately does not want to do on the same day that he consummated his relationship with Kurt.

Mason knocks on the door to his chamber when the King is ready, and Blaine has to take several deep breaths to collect himself. He then allows the smile that has not wanted to leave his face since that afternoon to take over as he greets Mason happily.

“You’re chipper,” the page says, looking away from him and starting to lead him to the common rooms.

“Just in a good mood,” he says honestly. He can’t see Mason, but he is quite sure that the man rolls his eyes.

They walk through the main halls, which is rather unusual, as most of the times Blaine was called upon, Mason took him through the servant halls. Blaine doesn’t stop to ponder on it, though. Instead he focuses all his mental energy on keeping his thoughts away from Kurt.

When they reach the King’s chambers, the guards open the doors to let them in, and Mason steps in before him and announces his arrival to the King.

Blaine steps in soon after Mason, eyes widening as he sees the state of the King’s common room.

Candles sit on almost every surface, and are the only form of lighting in the room. The table near the window has been set for two, with two candles sitting in the middle of the table and a small cart full of delicious looking food next to the King’s chair.

“Blaine,” the King greets, sending a glance to Mason that immediately makes the man vacate the room. He greets Blaine with a firm kiss on the lips, one that almost makes Blaine recoil.

His lips are nothing like Kurt’s lips.

“I’m so happy that you could come,” the King says, and Blaine smiles despite himself.

“Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty.”

“Please, Blaine, sit,” the King gestures to the table and Blaine nods, hurrying over to his side and slipping into the chair. The King sits opposite him and gives him a warm, fond smile.

A shiver runs down Blaine’s spine as he sees the similarity in this smile to the many Kurt gifted him that very afternoon.

The King takes two plates from the cart next to him and hands one to Blaine, who places it gently on the table in front of him. It’s his favourite salad blend, he notices, with walnuts and pecans, as well as blue cheese, apples, and blueberries.

“Did you know this is my favourite?” Blaine asks, looking up at the King shyly. The King smiles as he places his own plate before him and nods.

“I also had them bring me a small pot of your favourite raspberry vinaigrette dressing.”

He hands the pot to Blaine, who grins as he pours the dressing over the salad.

Maybe this will be easier than he thought.

The thought lasts for a grand total of three seconds, for as soon as he hands the dressing to the King, the King says, “So, as I’m sure you already know, I spoke with my son yesterday.”

Blaine tries to give him a neutral look, picking up his fork and spearing a piece of lettuce and a blueberry with it. “Yes, I remember,” he says.

“It was about you,” the King says. Blaine pauses, fork halfway to his mouth. He feels frozen in place, shocked.

Kurt hadn’t mentioned speaking to his father about Blaine. Why hadn’t Kurt mentioned that? Why hadn’t Kurt warned him?

“He told me that you were acting strange during the ride you two shared,” Blaine swallows thickly, thinking of what exactly had happened on that ride. “And that he heard a rumour that something had happened between myself, yourself, and Sebastian.”

“Oh?” is all that Blaine seems to be able to say.

The King nods. He eats a forkful of his own salad, watching Blaine carefully. Once he has swallowed, he says, “He was… concerned. About you.”

Blaine tilts his head just slightly, trying to seem surprised. “How kind of him.”

“He worried that what transpired between us and Sebastian may not have been as consensual as I believed it was.”

Blaine’s eyes widen, heart sinking to the bottom of his stomach.

“I. Um.”

His tongue feels five sizes too big for his mouth. He cannot believe this. He cannot believe that Kurt would say that to the King. He cannot believe that he did not _warn_ Blaine that he had had this conversation with the King. He cannot believe…

The King is giving him a strange look, and Blaine looks down at his salad, not wanting his eyes to give away the truth of Kurt’s words. He wants to deny them, wants to tell the King that Kurt was speaking of things he did not understand, but he cannot seem to make his tongue work.

There is a quiet clatter as the King places his fork on his plate.

“He is correct,” he says, voice quiet.

“Your Majesty-” Blaine starts, looking up imploringly, but stops when he sees the way the King is looking at him.

“Why did you not say something?” the King asks. “I would have… I would have…”

Blaine swallows thickly. “Stopped?” he asks, voice barely a whisper. “We didn’t… we didn’t want you to, Your Majesty. Sebastian and I… we did it for you.”

“But your input matters to me as well,” the King says, voice tight. “I thought that what we did was something that all three of us could enjoy. That we would all have fun, together. You two looked so pretty together, and I just thought…” he cannot seem to finish the sentence and he shakes his head, looking down at his plate.

Blaine does not know how to reply. Instead he keeps his lips pressed tightly together, eyes warily on the King.

Finally, after several moments of silence, the King takes a deep breath and looks up at Blaine with a new determination in his eyes.

“It will not happen again,” he says. “I promise you, I will never bring another man into our bed again.”

Their eyes lock, and Blaine wonders if the King can see his thoughts. If he can hear the rapid beat of his heart. If he knows that Blaine has taken another man into _his_ bed. If he realizes that Blaine intends to do so again, and again; as many times as Kurt will have him.

He forces a smile and says, “That is an unnecessary promise to make, Your Majesty, but one that I appreciate nonetheless.”

The King smiles in return and says, “I am glad. Your comfort is of utmost importance to me.”

“As yours is to me,” Blaine replies, finally bringing the salad to his mouth. He sighs happily as the delicious flavour explodes over his tongue. “This is delicious,” he says, hoping to change the subject.

It works, miraculously, and the King begins to talk of the preparation of the food, how Shelby had almost murdered him when he told her that she would have to make a special dinner for only himself and Blaine, alongside the main dinner for all his guests. Apparently it does not matter to Shelby what position someone holds in the castle. Once in her kitchen, you are in her domain.

Blaine smiles and chuckles at the story. He knows what the King speaks of all too well.

The conversation flows easily after that, and they quickly finish their salads and move on to the main dish, a delicious lamb stew. Yet another favourite of Blaine’s.

It takes them longer to eat their stew, and as they eat Blaine listens as the King tells him of the arrangements being made for Kurt and the Prince of Essex’s wedding. Apparently he is desperate to make their union to the Kingdom of Essex official, and he is hoping that the two will wed during this very trip.

The thought of Kurt marrying weighs heavy on Blaine’s heart, but he forces himself to ignore it and respond to the conversation as though he were not as deeply emotionally invested as he is. After all, right now he is not Blaine Anderson, lover to the Prince. He is Blaine Anderson, concubine.

He must not forget that.

Blaine is not ashamed to admit that he loses track of what the King is saying when he begins to talk about the political ramifications of uniting the kingdoms. No matter how many times the King talks about politics with him, Blaine simply cannot wrap his mind around any of it. Instead he simply nods along, thoughts focused more on the delicious stew than on the King’s words.

It is only after the King has placed dessert – a scrumptious looking key lime pie, a dessert that Blaine has loved since he was a young boy – before them that he pauses and chuckles. “I’ve completely lost you, haven’t I?”

Blaine smiles guiltily. “Many apologies, Your Majesty,” he says, cutting off the tip of his slice of pie with his fork. “You know that I have no head for politics.”

He pops the pie in his mouth. It is absolutely delicious, and yet he cannot help but think that it does not rival the one his father used to make for his birthday every year.

He does not like where that train of thought might lead him, so he pushes it away and takes another bite of the pie, trying to focus instead simply on how delicious it is.

“Do you think you might be interested in learning?” the King asks, voice casual but eyes nervous.

“Learning… politics?” Blaine asks, making sure that he is hearing correctly.

“Yes,” the King says, smiling nervously. “Is that something you might want?”

“I… I do not know,” Blaine admits. “I’ve never thought I would need to know anything about politics. It’s not as though I will inspire much political change as a concubine,” he chuckles, hoping the King will chuckle as well and the strange mood that has fallen over the table will be lifted.

It doesn’t. Instead, it only seems to thicken. “What if you weren’t only my concubine?”

Blaine’s heart stops.

“Your Majesty?” he asks, eyes wide and voice cracking.

“Oh, god,” the King says, running a hand over his face. “I hadn’t planned on bringing this up so soon.”

Blaine places his fork on his plate and sits up straighter. He does not like where this conversation is leading.

“Bring up what, Your Majesty?”

“Please, Blaine. I know you do not prefer it, but I would ask you to call me Burt. At least… at least for the next few minutes.”

Blaine swallows thickly at the nerves in the King’s voice. He nods. “Of course, Burt.”

The King seems to relax after hearing his name from Blaine’s lips. He takes a deep breath, then says, “I’ve been speaking to my advisors recently. They… they’ve been asking me to do something for a very long time. Something that I haven’t really wanted to do in the past.”

Blaine nods, showing that he is following. He can hear his heartbeat roaring in his ears.

“Lately, though, I’ve begun to reconsider. You see, I always thought that I didn’t want to do it because I did not find it necessary, but I’ve begun to realize that I didn’t want to do it because I hadn’t found the right person.”

He stands suddenly, and Blaine follows the movement with his eyes, which are still wide as saucers. He wonders once again if the King can hear his heartbeat from where he is.

“I told my advisors that I would finally do what they asked, and I told them who I wanted to do it with. They thought me foolish, called me enamoured, and suggested that I spend some time with… with others. Others who could potentially do this with me.”

He walks to his desk and picks up a small box. Blaine finds himself standing as well, all the air rushing out of him. He grips the back of his chair.

“Burt…” he says, voice so quiet he is unsure if the King hears him.

“It’s why I stopped calling on you,” the King says, turning around quickly, tucking the small box behind his back. “My advisors… they wanted me to remember that I had other concubines. They asked me to spend at least one night with each of them before I made my final decision.”

Blaine shakes his head infinitesimally. This is not happening. This is _not_ happening.

The King takes a step toward him. “I… I haven’t spent the night with Emma yet, but I know it is not necessary. I know it will not change my mind any more than my nights with Sue, Will, or Sebastian did. I know what I want, and I’m tired of waiting to make it official.”

Blaine raises a hand to cover his mouth. His stomach churns and he feels as though he cannot breathe.

“For the past month I have yearned for you,” the King says. “I have missed you more than I ever imagined I would. I…” he reaches Blaine and cups Blaine’s cheek with a hand. “I love you, Blaine.”

“Burt,” is all Blaine can manage, tears pooling in his eyes.

“I love you as more than just a concubine,” the King continues, smiling now, though still clearly nervous. “I want you to be more than just a concubine.”

Blaine swallows thickly and a tear escapes his eye.

The King removes his hand from Blaine’s cheek and lowers himself down to one knee, revealing the small box from behind his back.

“Blaine Anderson of Westerville –”

No, no, _no_.

“– will you marry me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger!!!!!! See you guys soon <3
> 
> [ rebloggable on tumblr! ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/148180498485/a-night-with-the-prince)


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